With increasing emphasis being placed on thermal performance of industrial insulation and an increasing number of organizations and regulatory bodies such as ASHRAE and the DOE, pressure is being placed on an industry that has lacked an economical solution that encompasses both a continuous insulated envelope and an insulation system that addresses air barrier and energy efficiency in metal buildings.
Laminated fiberglass insulation used in pre-manufactured buildings has limitations as it does not provide a continuous insulation envelope. Laminated fiberglass is applied over the exterior of the building structure or sub framing, and roof and siding panels are installed over the top of the insulation. When this method is used, the fiberglass laminate is compressed over the framing by the roof and siding panels, thereby degrading the thermal performance of the insulation. Liner systems have been developed to combat this problem by applying a lining to the inside of the building sub framing, i.e. the gifts and perlins, and filling this cavity with fiberglass batts. While this system addresses the issue of compressed fiberglass it still carries most of the drawbacks of a loose fill insulation system. Loose fill fiberglass systems are virtually unable to block air infiltration and water vapor, which can drastically reduce the thermal performance of the insulation system. Additionally these systems are labor intensive and their effectiveness depends heavily on the quality of the installation, which may not be consistent from building to building.
An alternative to laminated fiberglass and loose fill insulation includes a wide range of rigid insulation that is currently on the market, none of which fully address the needs of pre-manufactured buildings. Most commonly, rigid insulation having a single layer of un-reinforced facing is installed over the building sub faming in a manner similar to a laminated fiberglass system. Once the rigid insulation is installed, all adjoining seams must be sealed with tape. Such system are not tailored to pre-manufactured building and are labor intensive. Flexible faced insulating system that are available today are not designed to stand up to the exposed industrial environment in which they are used, while providing a quality finish.